Under the Law of Property Act 1925, which of the following is a legal interest in land?

• A. Right of entry for a landlord created in a legal lease
• B. An equitable mortgage
• C. A mere license
• D. A right of re-entry by a tenant

Answer: (D)

Under the Law of Property Act 1925, a legal interest in land is a right that creates or accompanies a proprietary claim to the land itself and is capable of binding the land and third parties. A leasehold estate is a classic example of a legal interest, because it gives the holder a present possessory right in land for a term. The right of re-entry by a tenant is an incident of the lease itself: it operates within the framework of the lease to govern what happens if the tenancy ends or a breach occurs, and it is thus part and parcel of the tenant’s leasehold interest. That makes it a legal interest in land.

The other options fail for the same reason they are not, in themselves, legal interests in land. A right of entry for a landlord created in a legal lease is simply a provision within the lease and does not by itself constitute a separate interest in land. An equitable mortgage is an equitable, not a legal, interest. A mere license is a personal permission and does not create a legal interest in land.